Shell and Bone
by penultimate-lifeform
Summary: Chapter 2 up! More Kamek, Mason, Marten is introduced, and Kooper pays Mario a short visit! PG for language.
1. Inside the Koopa Castle

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any races or places, nor do I own Bowser, the Magikoopas, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or anyone/thing that has appeared in a Mario game. I own all of the characters and places made up for this fic, as long as the fic itself, don't use without my permission (which I'll probably give gladly)  
  
Anyway, now that that junk is over with, here's the story:  
  
PLEASE R&R it REALLY helps me to carry on writing!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
A chilly breeze swept through the castle, which had been built in a traditional style, and therefore had no heating (except the lakes of lava, and they were nearer the main entrance) or electric lighting. Mason reflected on this briefly as he stood in the corridor, but was soon brought back to more pressing matters of his job when two armoured guard koopas walked past, dragging a terrified looking Toad with them. Both of them ignored him, as anybody living or working in the castle had quickly learnt to do, but the Toad gave him a short glance. He waited until they had gone a few paces past him then began following behind them. His job consisted of being at the right place when he was needed, after all, and he had developed an almost extra-sensory awareness of when a message would need to be delivered, or something fetched, or any other of the menial but seemingly vital tasks that he had to perform. Besides, the Toad was being taken right to the Throne room, and Bowser didn't interrogate prisinors himself unless it was important. It was hard to judge the Toad's age, but he seemed to only be around 25, perhaps 30.   
  
At that point the three entered the Throne room, and Mason quickly slipped in behind, then walked over near the throne and stood woodenly, waiting for some command to be issued to him. It was a grand room, indeed. From the large door, a thick, plushy red carpet led up to a huge golden throne, flanked on each side by statues of Magikoopers, generals, heroes, and of course Bowser himself. The throne was highly decorated, it's golden curves and designs pocked with rubies and sapphires. Styalised hands with diamond claws rose from either side of the throne's back, looking like they were about to cast some spell on the seat. The overall effect was both grand and gothic, and looked terribly expensive. The Koopa sitting on it radiated power and ferocisty, his huge spiked shell calling into mind an image of a giant morningstar. His full gaze was fixed on the Toad, who looked so small and weak in comparison. He must have felt it, too, Mason thought, as he looked as if he were about to cry.  
  
The two guard released him, turned around stiffly, and paced to the door, in perfect syncronisation. When they reached it, the turned around again and faced the room, their eyes fixed straight ahead on the wall.  
  
There was silence as Bowser regarded the terrified Toad, no doubt the pause was to instill as much fear as possible into him. Mason reflected that it seemed to be a waste of time.  
  
Finally, Bowser spoke:  
  
"You are V. John."  
  
There was no question in his voice, but he seemed to be waiting for a reply, so the Toad quietly answered "Yes".  
  
"And you were captured from a town near here." Another pause, but before he had a chance to answer, Bowser continued "And you were one of the group working on a new weapon, to be used against the koopa army?" That was definately a question.  
  
"No. No, there was no weapon. We hadn't-"  
  
Bowser cut him off "But you had developed, or were developing, a substance that would be lethal to Koopas."  
  
"We didn't make that! Some of the peaceful Koopas had died, we were trying to find what caused it."  
  
An expression of disgust had crossed Bowser's face at the mention of the 'peacful Koopas' and now his voice was even more raised. "Some of our Koopas raided one of your labs" he put almost sarcastic emphasis on the word 'our' "We found papers that directly contradicted that. They suggested that the use of this substance could harm all Koopas, and that you were going to try to make a weapon from it."  
  
"I simply do research!" John snapped, then looked shocked at himself "I- I mean I have nothing to do with what happens after my findings. The Royal Guard would have decided that. But I'm sure no such weapon would have been created. You know how much hate there is for the peaceful Koopas from Toads today. Many of us haven't really, well, gotten used to the idea yet. The Palace would never order the creation of such a weapon for fear that it would fall into the wrong hands and be used on some innocent Koopas." John had obviously gotten his voice back.  
  
Bowser gave a derisive snort. "You really think that I will take your word that a substance potentially highly lethal to us won't be used against us by our enemy? Pathetic. You will tell me what this substance is, and how we can protect ourselves."  
  
"I- I can't" John's voice was small again. "It's top secret. And besides, we haven't worked out a way to defend against it yet, that's what we were doing when your thugs destroyed our-"  
  
"You can give us what you already know. My scientists will finish your work."  
  
"I've already told you that I can't."  
  
"Very well. Guards!" The heads of both guards snapped up, almost comically. "Take this guard back to his cell for interrogation."  
  
"'Sir" the on on the left said, as they began walking towards the Toad. They grabbed him roughly, and dragged him out, passing a glance over the top of his head. Mason guessed that within ten minutes every Koopa in the palace would know of the conversation that had just taken place, or at least some warped version of it.  
  
Mason remained in the room, for a few moments, anticipating the moment when Bowser would call-  
  
"Mason!"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Fetch Kamek here immediately. If he's busy, fetch him anyway, it's very important."  
  
Mason nodded, glad to be able to leave the room. Bowser had seemed unusually pensive after the prisinor had left, and Mason suspected that something was wrong. He hurried off to the Order's area.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
It was some time ago that the Magikoopas had come up with the grandiose name 'The Order of the Shell', and they were still usually only called that officially, in everyday speech called 'the Magikoopas'. Led by Kamek, they spent their days in their area of the castle, mainly researching. A suprising amount of activities fell under "researching", from plowing through old texts to try to weave together some new spell, or a variation of an old one, to scientific studies, to coming up with new tactics for the army. Although the latter is traditionally the job of generals, the plans and ideas usually bubble up from the Order's section, and are then trimmed and editted by the generals before finally being offered to Bowser. Although the majority of the work done by the Order was magical, they had long ago stopped working on magic alone, and a Magikoopa was the preffered job for any academic Koopa. Not only were they respected, they had much less dangerous jobs than the average soldier, and were better paid for their services. They also had the novelty of practicing magic, although from what Mason had heard, this was a novelty that soon wore off. Kamek himself served as a personal adviser to Bowser, which in reality meant that Bowser shared his problems with him, and then had solutions returned to him soon afterwards.  
  
The Order's headquaters were magnificent. The air crackled with occult energies, the walls emitted a faint but wonderful pink glow. In the center were two spikes, one reaching down from the very high ceiling, the other climbing up from the floor directly below it. In between them was a huge crystal, apparently floating but kept in place by the spikes' powers. The crystal was impossible to see, though, because it was bathed in blue-white electricity, which seemed to be passing between the spikes and the crystal, although it was impossible to tell whether the crystal was creating the energy or absorbing it. It didn't matter how many times Mason saw this, he was awestruck each time. The door he had gone through opened out onto a small platform with a rail, which looked over the huge room. There were stairs going down from this platform to the floor, which he now took. Koopas in their black, velvet cloaks which shimmered blue hurried around, seeming to shuffle. Mason estimated that about a thrid of them were carrying old, leather-bound tomes. In one corner, a few younger-looking members of the Order were hurling balls of energy or fire at dummies, and near to them a couple of neophytes were taking turns blocking each other's stunning spells (Mason had come to learn these spells well, as he was one of the very few Koopas who mixed with Magikoopas and Troopers alike due to his job, and he had become friends with a Magikoopa called Marten)  
  
He found Kamek talking to Lemmy, and waited next to them in silence for their conversation to finish. One of the things he liked best about his job was his ability to eavesdrop without anybody getting angry.  
  
"-you kidding?" Lemmy was saying, his arms crossed and a sarcastic smile on his reptillion face. "You think I'd tell Dad? He'd just look at me like I was some kinda bug then tell me to get on with something useful."  
  
"But surely if we were to implement it, he'd have to know." Kamek replied, but Mason could see on his face that really he agreed with Lemmy.  
  
"Well, sure, eventually, but I'd like the backing of a couple o' generals when I do, and your support would help to. If I say it's just my idea he'll assume it's crap." He paused, then added, as if it were an afterthought "Don't know what the hell's wrong with him, why does he assume everything we say is wrong."  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll talk to the generals about it, but I can't guarentee anything."  
  
"Aw, thanks Kamek, that'll really be a help." He turned to go, and then saw Mason. "Oh, Mason! Could you go ask Iggy for the shoes. He'll know what I mean." Mason nodded. "See ya Kamek!" and with that Lemmy began the walk to the exit, watching the hypnotic dance of the elcetricity over the crystal.  
  
"Kamek, sir," Mason began, turning to Kamek. The Magikoopa wore robes slightly different from the other's. His were the same black, but shimmered crimson instead of blue, and a golden shell was embroided on the back, along with some intricate, wonderful patterns that climbed up the arms. "Bowser wants to see you. He says that it is very important, and asks you to come immediately, even if busy."  
  
Kamek sighed. "Always busy," he murmered "Always busy. Okay," he turned to face Mason fully for the first time "I shall see him." He punctuated this with a nod. Looking at his face, Mason saw how weary he looked, and that made him think of his own sleepless job. When had he last slept? Really slept, and not just taken a half hour nap? A command over his sleep was the only real qualification that he needed for the job, he supposed, as he could fall asleep in under a minute, and usually could hold tiredness back until he was on the verge of passing out. He doubted that Kamek was blessed with such ability. His eyes, with their red glow, were half closed, and his forehead was creased in a frown. His skin was unusually marked for a Koopa's, and Mason supposed that this was from a mixture of age and the magic that danced through the air around Kamek constantly. The crystal itself was not the only source of magic in the room, for a Magikoopa is said to act like a focus point through which magic enters the world, and this is especially so with one more powerful. The lessens, and sometimes eliminates, the need to draw in magic from the air to form into a spell, as a powerful Magikoopa can us the magic already flowing through himself. Mason had picked all of this information up second hand, again from Marten.  
  
Kamek held his right hand out a few inches in front of his face, pointed inwards and cupped, as if he were trying to read something from his palm. A silver spark jumped from it to Kamek, and suddenly he was gone, causing Mason to jump back in surprise (he had seen this before, but never so close or sudden), and leaving nothing behind but a little smoke and a soft pop as air rushed in the fill the space that he had left.  
  
Mason paused for a few moments, gazing at the awesome crystal, then hurried off to see Iggy.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Okay, I wrote all that then realised that a pitifully small amount of stuff has actually happened. Sorry! More soon! Again, please R&R with insane praise and/or constructive critisism (and yes, I already know that I often end up with stupidly long sentences with about 10 clauses)  
  
EXTRA NOTE: I wrote this from 12:30 AM to 2:00 AM... just thought you'd like to know.. or something.  
  
"Perhaps someday we could make language a direct impediment to understanding"  
  
-- Calvin 


	2. So much shell and bone

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any races or places, nor do I own Bowser, the Magikoopas, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or anyone/thing that has appeared in a Mario game. I own all of the characters and places made up for this fic, as long as the fic itself, don't use without my permission (which I'll probably give gladly)  
  
Well, here's chapter 2. Hope you like it. Again, pleaaaaaaaaaaaase R&R!  
  
V. John has changed to Jean V, by the way, after I realised that Toad names were supposed to be that way round. Sorry 'bout that!  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
Kamek appeared in the same hall that Mason had been waiting in, just outside Bowser's door. He reflected briefly that he was probably the only Magikoopa to be able to get such a complicated spell so perfectly right, but his thoughts soon passed to what Bowser could want. It was hard enough supervising all this new non-magical rubbish, without having to go and see Bowser every time there was some minute problem. Why was so much of his job education now? And why all the seemingly pointless admin? The Magikoopas hadn't used to be like this, had they? Oh well, he thought, opening the door.  
  
"My Lord."  
  
"Ah, Kamek, you're here."  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Have you heard anything about this Koopa-damaging substance?"  
  
Oh, that was what it was. Of course, why hadn't he thought of it? He had only heard a sliver of information, a brief rumour, and hadn't thought much of it at the time.  
  
"Yes, M'Lord, but only rumours. Nothing solid."  
  
"Yes, well we've captured one of the scientists working on it. From what was found in his lab, it seems that this 'Orichalcum' could be extremely lethal to Koopas, and if used as a weapon against us, could be devastating."  
  
"Ah." Worry began to creep into Kamek's mind. Perhaps it was not just another of Bowser's constant quips after all.  
  
"The scientist who was working on it, Jean V, is being interrogated as we speak. He says that they were actually trying to find an antidote, and not make a weapon from it, because it could be used to harm the Exiled, since so many Toads are racist." 'Exiled' was Bowser's favourite, and totally innaccurate, word for the Koopas who had deserted and tried to settle and live peaceful lives.  
  
"And do you believe him?"  
  
"I'm not sure. He may think he's telling the truth, even if he isn't." Bowser paused "What do you think?"  
  
"Well, I think that it really depends on the amount of racism that exists against the- um- Exiled, within and outside the Palace. If there is racism outside the Palace, then the Palace would probably want to show that they are taking a stance against it, if there is Racism within the Palace, they would probably want to encourage attacks on the Exiled, and this would be a perfect excuse for them to do so, without appearing too obviously racist." Kamek mentally added sociology to the ever-growing list of non-magical studies which he had to engage in. And how many times had he just used the word 'racist'? He sighed inwardly.  
  
"Yes- yes, you're probably right Kamek." Kamek remained silent, so Bowser continued. "I will notify our spies to keep a look out for any further information. Meanwhile, I want some of your Magikoopas working on finding some way to counteract the Orichalcum"  
  
"Of course, Lord. May I make a suggestion?"  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"That we should sent some Troopers to vandalise one of the towns in which the Exiled live, and make it look like it was the work of a group of Toads. The Palace may decide to respond with a pro-Koopa- Exiled, that is- gesture, and not creating the weapon you described would be a perfect way in which to do so. Of course, the information that we were provided with may be incorrect for one of a few reasons, but..." he let it hang.  
  
Bowser considered. "Yes. Yes, that does seem like a good idea. We will do that as soon as possible. Now, unless there is anything else for you to say-" he paused, but Kamek was silent "-you may leave."  
  
"My Lord." Kamek finished, and left the room. When the door close behind him, he quickly teleported back to his quarters, glad to be able to reflect on the situation alone, and get on with some work.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
He had a friendly smile. People had always told him that. Apparently it held up even in the worse of moods, because when a passing Toad ran up to him and said "Aren't you Kooper? Didn't you travel around with Mario?" he just nodded back and smiled his fake smile, and the Toad seemed not to notice, seemed completely satisfied.  
  
Kooper. What a stupid name, Kooper. He had to pronounce it 'Koop-ugh' whenever he said it, so that it didn't sound so much like 'Koopa'. What had possessed his parents to- Oh well, it didn't matter. What mattered at the moment was Orichalcum. And Mario.  
  
And here was Mario's house, sitting alone on its expensive spot by the serene Toad Town, the garden flourishing with bright vegetation, and smoke puffing gently out of the chimney. Kooper walked up and rapped on the door, the knocking noises amplified in his mind my his anger. He had spent some time on the way here deliberating whether or not to sucker punch Mario, and had eventually decided to do whatever felt right at the time. As it turned out, when Mario opened the door, he narrowly chose not to.  
  
There he stood, dressed in that sunset red outfit, his jolly smile resting just below his oversized nose.  
  
"Kooper!" he cried, his voice oozing with pleasant surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came here to talk to you, you fat fuck." Kooper replied, his sickly smile fading with the words. "You know, work a few things out, see if my life is still worth living, that kinda shit."  
  
"Wha-what do you mean?" Mario was clearly astounded, having never heard Kooper swear, and being apparently unaware of what Kooper was talking about. Kooper pushed past him and walked into the house, and Mario followed. He sat down on the comfortable, cozy-looking sofa (No surprises there, he thought), and waited a few moments.  
  
"Orichalcum." He said, finally.  
  
"Ori-? Oh!" Mario was apparently catching on. At last.  
  
"Yes, Orichalcum. You know, the Koopa-killing stuff. Recently discovered by a Toad. But of course you know all that. In fact, you know enough about it to decide to authorise, no, to suggest that it should be made into a weapon, to be used against Bowser."  
  
"Yes, but, why do you care?"  
  
"Well, because if this orichalcum was made so public, so widely used, a few of the 'old-fashioned' Toads, as they've so quaintly been labelled, might decide to commit mass genocide against the all refugee Koopas. Well, I say 'might', but it's really a matter of when, not if." He smiled again, and now there was no chance of mistaking it for anything resembling happiness, or humour.  
  
"But that's not going to-"  
  
"Oh, you really thank that? You really think there's no crazy Toads out there? Or even Bowser, wanting to take us out once and for all?"  
  
"Well, I never thought-"  
  
"Oh, don't expect me to believe that. There you are, looking all warm, jolly, like a young of Santa Claus, and with your 'I-don't-know-what's-going-on-but-I'll-do-what's-best' face, but I know you better than that. I've travelled with you, don't forget that. I've fought along side you, and I know. I know that under the fat idiot exterior you really are aware, you really are clever."  
  
"Kooper, it's not going to happen, we'll be careful, it'll only be used against Bowser."  
  
"Mario, just stop trying, okay? If you let that weapon be made, I swear that in under two months my friends are going to be so much shell and bone. I know you're not too blind to see that, so please just stop this Orichalcum SHIT!" With these words Kooper sprang up, and rushed out of the house without waiting for a reply.   
  
He'd finally said it. Now, perhaps, he could finally clear his head, and perhaps think rationally about the problem. With this task in mind, he began to head back to his town, and started to slow down his breathing.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"Oh! That reminds me," said Marten "They're testing out some vaccine thing tomorrow in the Order's section, and they want some volunteers. They're paying 50 coins."  
  
Four had passed since the interrogation (and subsequent passing) of Jean V, and a number of Magikoopas had been assigned to trying to find some protection against the Orichalcum, with a ridiculously large reward from Bowser for success (one for the scientists working on it, and one for funding for the entire Magikoopa section. As can be imagined, this caused grumbling from almost everybody).  
  
"Oh yes?" Mason replied. Marten and he were sharing a rare half hour in which neither of them had anything urgent to do. They had decided that it wasn't really enough time to go to the rec. area, so instead they were gossiping (for want of a male equivilent). Mason was an endless source of rumour-starting gossip, due of course to his job, which made him a popular face amongst most Koopas in the castle. The conversation had, naturally, turned to Orichalcum.  
  
"Well, it's not really a vaccine. I mean, you're not going to produce any antibodies or anything," Mason had completely lost him, but nodded anyway "but that's what they're calling it. You just sign up- there' s a sheet to sign up on stuck on the wall- then you go and get this stuff injected into you. It's completely harmless, of course, it's been ued before. And anyway, 50% of the people who sign up will actually get water. Nobody will know whether they got water or this other stuff. It's a normal thing to do, because that way it doesn't act like a placebo, and the people who get water act as a control." Mason listened and nodded rapidly, indicating for him to get to the point. "Anyway, you come back in a week, and they put 'Orichalc-2', which is what they're calling this stuff that emulates Orichalcum but isn't nearly as harmful, and you tell them whether it hurts or not. It won't hurt much, of course. Then they pay you."  
  
Apparently he had finished, so Mason replied "And they pa you 50 coins?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"And there's no risk or anything?"  
  
"'Course not, if there was a risk they'd be testing it on prisinors..." his voice trailed off, and there was a short pause as they both tried not to think about that dark side of their jobs. Their whole lives, in fact.  
  
"Okay, I'll take a look at that. Where's the sheet?"  
  
"Magikoopa area, next to the entrance to Lab Block A. They want about 160 people, and it's only been there for a couple of hours, so you won't need to hurry."  
  
"Thanks." said Mason.  
  
Lab Block A, he thought to himself with a mental sigh, how much the Magikoopas had changed.  
  
"Actually, I've got to go now." said Marten.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you then."  
  
"See you!" Marten said. His hood was a little further back over his head than was usual, as he had a strange objection to having his eyes in shadow unecessarily. He wsa going back on the job, however, so he pulled it forward to its normal position as he turned and walked off. Mason watched him go for a moment, his mind in that odd blankness that arises when you hop off of one train of thought but don't immediately get onto another one. Then he, too, turned and walked back to the central corridor, knowing that somebody would undoubtedly come and give him something to do. He knew, from years of experience.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
There's Chapter 2 over with. A liiiittle different from Chapter 1 (I think). Thank you for the review (note no 's'), which finally propelled me to finish this chapter. It was very encouraging! :)  
  
More would also be appreciated (hint, hint, it'll only take a few moments!)  
  
I'll also note that I have abosolutely no idea where the plot is going, so bear with me.  
  
Oh, and yes I know that Orichalcum is actually a metal that the Atlantians were said to have, which is the impossible alloy between three or four other metals (one of which is mercury). Sorry about not giving it an original name, and sorry if anybody who knows alot about the subject found it wierd that a liquid was named after the metal.   
  
In closing... um, thanks!  
  
"Sometimes it is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers" - Anon (actually, I just don't know who said this... or what it means! It is, however, an excellent thing to write on an exam paper when you don't know the answer.) 


End file.
